Ash tray



' July 4, 1944. H. M. ANHOLT Asa TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1941 INVENIOR.

HARRY m All/HOLT v 7 BY 777% 9 W Patented July 4, 1944 ASH TRA Harry M. Anholt, DenvenColo. Application Mini. 24, 1941, Serial No. 384,873

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-249) 'This invention relates to ash trays and more particularly to ash trays of the type having a rest on which a burning cigarette may be placed when not in use.

In the usual ash tray of this type, a cigarette.

while still of a usable size may become displaced and fall to the bottom of the tray with the result that the end which has been in the users mouth becomes soiled and unfit for further use.

\ Likewise, through careless handling a cigarette placed in a tray may become dislodged and fall outside with consequent damage .by burning to the surface on which it comes to rest'after such fall.

It is an object of the present invention to provicle an ash tray of attractive contour which is adapted to retain cigarettes within its confines despite careless handling by the user.

Another object is to provide an ash tray of attractive contour which is designed to retain cigarettes within its confines without permitting a cigarette of a usable size to lie flat on the tray bottom.

still another object of the invention is to provide an ash tray of pleasing appearance, having supports for a plurality of cigarettes and match packets, and which is easy to clean.

Other objects reside in novel combinations and arrangements of parts and novel details of construction, all of which will appear more fully-in the course of the following description.

To afford a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings in the several views of which like parts have been similarly designated, and in which Figure Us a top plan view of one form of an ash tray embodying features of the present invention, and illustrating the manner in which a cigarette is supported within the tray,

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2,

- Figure 1,

above its convex bottom 8 somewhat in excess of the length of a King's size" cigarette as indicated by the dotted line representations in Figures 2 and 3.

A rest or support member 9 bridges peripheral walls In of the tray and is 01' substantially arcuate contour with the portion intermediate its ends serrated, as indicated at H, and its end portions Referring now to the form illustrated in Figure 1, the tray designated generally by the reference 4 numeral 6 is of circular shape having a concave interior surface and a convex exterior surface merging at their upper peripheral edges to form a narrow, circular, substantially-tapered periphridged, as indicated at B. Adjoining serrations provide support for a cigarette, and even when it burns past such support, little condensation .of moisture occurs as a result of such action. Preferably, the arc of the upper edge of the arcuate partition or support'member 9, if extended, would intersect the tray below the tapered edge I, and its serrations provide tapered recess-formations of a depth greater than the diameter of a cigarette, the gripping surfaces of which are a distance not less than one-half the length of a. standard size cigarette from the upper edge of the tray.

Due to this arrangement, a lower arc substantially concentric with said upper arc, is defined by the bottoms of the recesses, and the cigarette supporting surfaces of the recessed areas are thus substantially below the level of the tapered edge of the tray. i

The location of member 9 in Figure 1 serves to divide the interior of the tray into two segmental compartments A and B, the depth of which exceed the length of an unburned cigarette and a which on their chord-sides are substantially the same length as the length of a cigarette.

The serrations l2 are so located that a cigarette supported on member 9 and scallops I will be held at an angle requiring a greaterpart'of the, weight of the cigarette to be inside wall l0 than isoutside the same. Therefore, if a burning cigarette I4 is allowed to rest in the full line position of Figures 1 and 3, whenever burning progresses sufficiently to pass member 9, the burning end'will fall to bottom 8, and the ensuing jar and movement cannot cause the projected portion of the cigarette to fall outside the tray.

Further, it a cigarette is placed in the dottedline position of Figures 2 and 3, the curvature of the bottom 8 cooperating with the scalloped edge 1 has a centering eflect that tends to prevent the cigarette from assuming other thana radial position. However, unless the cigarette is deliberately placed in superposed relation to member 9, it will not be free to fall flat on the bottom while it is still of ausable size.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present construction aflords eflective safeguards against the usual type of damage encountray.

tered in carelessly placing burning cigarettes on or in ash trays as well as preventing soiling the mouthpiece end of a cigarette by inadvertent deposit among the contents of the bottom of the It is also apparent that soiled surfaces are readily accessible for cleaning, and deposits within the tray may be simply removed by overtuming the same.

The ridge 13 functions as a positioning element and also to assist ash removal or in extinguishing burning when the cigarette is tamped against the ridge surfaces.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 employs the same confining features to prevent accidental removal of the cigarette from the tray, and to a large degree also tends to prevent accidental deposit of the cigarette in a reclining position on the bottom 81:.

The tray in this form isoval and the member 9.1:

extends along the lengthwise axis of the tray in bridgin relation to its upright walls lilac. The structural form of the member 91: has already been described, inclusive of the slots lZasupporting match packets l 5.

As indicated by the dotted lines in Figures t and 5 the cigarettes are confined inthe same manner hereinbefore described withreference to the form of Figure 1. Likewise, in the manner of positioning the cigarette the member 9.1: preserves the desired angular relationship and the restricting parts of the interior are positioned to attain the objects of the invention.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be apparent that other geometric shapes may be resorted to as desired and specific mention is made of hexagonal, octagonal or other plural-sided contours in which the present invention may be embodied. -It is also apparent that the external surfaces of the tray may be ornamented in a variety of styles and designs as the basic appearance of the tray lends itself to ornamentation.

Further, the design is adapted for manufacture in a variety of materials, such as, ceramics,

plastics, metals. glass or combinations thereof,

by employing one material for the center supports 9 or 91:, and another material for the trays 6 or 617.

While in the various embodiments described and illustrated, the ash tray has been a separate unit adapted to be placed on a table top or other flat supporting surface, it willbe understood that the tray may be mounted on any suitable stand or other upright support, within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Changes and modifications may be availed of within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto apprehended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

L'As an article of manufacture, an ash tray comprising a bowl-like receptacle having an upstanding wall terminating at its top in a peripheral cigarette-support. a partition member extending across the receptacle bottom and dividing its interior into two segmental compartments of substantially uniform size, said partition member having end portions, the top surfaces of which are at a substantial distance below the elevation of the rim and having an intermediate portion, the top surface of which is arcuate and serrated, with the highest points of the'serrations at approximately the elevation of the rim, said serrations defining cigarette-gripping rests on the partition disposed transversely to its lengthwise axis, the distance from said rests to any point on the rim to which a cigarette seated in a rest may extend being in excess of one-half the length of a standard-sized cigarette, whereby a burning cigarette jointly supported on the rim and in a rest cannot become so unbalanced due to burning that it will fall outside the tray.

2. As an article of manufacture, an ash tray comprising a bowl-like receptacle having a curved bottom and an upstanding wall terminating at its top in a peripheral cigarette-support, a partition member extending across the receptacle bottom and dividing its interior into two segmental compartments of substantially uniform size, said partition member having end portions, the top surfaces of which are at a substantial distance below the elevation of the rim and having an intermediate portion, the top surface of which is arcuate and serrated, with the highest points of the serrations at approximately the elevation of the rim, said serrations definin cigarette-gripping rests on the partition disposed transversely to its lengthwise axis, the distance.

from said rests to any point on the rim to which a cigarette seated in a rest may extend being in excess of one-half the length of a standardsized cigarette, and the distance from any point on the rim to any point on the bottom against which an end of a cigarette may come to rest being in excess of one-half the length of a standard-sized cigarette, whereby a burning cigarette jointly supported on the rim and an interior support in the tray cannot become so unbalanced due to burning that it will fall'outside the tray.

3. An ash tray having a concave interior surface and a convex exterior surface merging at their upper edges to form a narrow, circular, substantially-tapered peripheral edge, and a partition in a plane coincident with a diameter of the tapered edge, said partition having its upper edge of arcuate form, wherein the arc would intersect the inner surface of the tray below the tapered edge thereof, if extended thereto, the partition having tapered recess formations of adepth greater than the diameter of a cigarette, each of the recess formations having gripping surfaces and being a distance not less than onehalf the length of a standard size cigarette from the upper edge of the tray, the bottoms of said recesses constituting portions of an are having substantially concentric relation to the upper arc, whereby all the cigarette-supporting surfaces of the recessed areas will be a substantial distance below the level of the tapered edge so that a cigarette placed in any recess and also supported on the tapered edge will be inclined downwardly within the tray, and if dislodged by itself from a recess will always fallwithin the tray.

HARRY M. ANHOLT. 

